Everything. Everything about tonight was brutal.
The back-to-back home runs to open the game. Nova leaving after 2 innings. Joe's curious bullpen hierarchy. The offense not coming through with 1 guy on, 2 guys on. The offense not coming through with the bases loaded, twice. Delmon Young being a big fat piece of shit that can't even do the most basic baseball activities without pulling a muscle and somehow still managing to own Yankee pitching. Watching Nick Swisher hit with RISP. Watching Russell Martin hit with RISP.
Losing.
I'm going to get blackout drunk. We'll deal with the rest of this debacle tomorrow.
Thursday, October 6, 2011
ALDS Game 5 Preview: Win Or Go Home
Pitching Matchup: Nova (1-0) vs. Fister (0-1)
Starting Lineups:
NYY- Jeter (SS), C-Grand (CF), Cano (2B), The Horse (3B), Teck-SHARE-uh (1B), Swish (RF), Jorge (DH), Martin (C), Gardner (LF)
DET- Jackson (CF), Kelly (3B), Young (LF), Cabrera (1B), Martinez (DH), Ordonez (RF), Avila (C), Peralta (SS), Santiago (2B)
3 Things to Watch For:
1) Starter Adjustments/Who Can Finish
It's the 2nd time around against the same team in less than a week for the 2 starting pitchers tonight, and you know both clubs have been reviewing video of their at-bats against them in Game 1. It will be equally important for SuperNova and Fister to not fall into a similar routine to what they did last Saturday. They need to change their approaches, continue to mix pitches, and not get predictable with their offerings based on count. Whoever can do that better will have the better outing. Building off of that theme, the pitcher who can finish off hitters and finish off innings better will also give his team a better chance to win. Nova excelled at working out of his jams in Game 1, and generally put guys away when he had them down. Fister's inability to do that in the 5th and 6th innings of Game 1 was his undoing.
2) The Horse At The Plate
As I touched on yesterday, The Horse finally started to look like himself at the plate in Game 4, which bodes well for his chances against a pitcher who doesn't have dynamite stuff like Fister tonight. Word around the Yankee clubhouse this morning was that A-Rod looked good in his pregame canter around the field. He was energetic and lively, and he even ate ALL his oats and carrots at lunch time. He's just finishing up getting brushed right now before taking some BP. If he looks as smooth and balanced tonight as he did in the 8th inning on Tuesday, we could be in store for some 2009 A-Rod flashbacks.
3) Reliever "Freshness"
Another point I made after Game 4 was my concern that Joe not using D-Rob and Mo in Game 4 could lead them to be a little rusty tonight. Granted, I'll still take a rusty D-Rob or Mo over anybody else in the Yankee 'pen 25 hours a day, 8 days a week, but they are the types of pitchers who struggle specifically when they haven't pitched in a while. D-Rob has the tendency to lose his command, and Mo tends to not locate the cutter as well. It's obvious they are both going to be available for 6 outs apiece if needed tonight thanks to the rest, but even that could prove to be a potential pothole if they're forced to go from next to no work to 30-40 pitches. Hopefully Nova can put up a repeat 6-inning performance from Game 1 and take this discussion off the table, but I'll be paying extra close attention to how D-Rob and Mo's stuff looks when they get in the game.
Player to Watch: Ivan Nova
Even though he technically was a reliever in Game 1, Nova turned in the best starting performance from a Yankee pitcher in this series. He was cool, calm, confident, and he attacked the Tiger lineup with his full arsenal. Game 1 was the biggest game of his career up to that point and he passed that test with flying colors. How will he respond coming back in a do-or-die Game 5 setting? I've always liked the way Nova handles himself on the mound and I expect him to be solid tonight. If he's on early, he can help set the tone for this game and get the Yankee crowd in it. And if he puts up a repeat performance of Game 1, he could be looking at an ALDS MVP (even though that award doesn't really exist).
I love Game 5s and I hate Game 5s. Every pitch means a little more, every crack of the bat is a little more exciting, and every ball in play carries that extra little bit of tension. I feel confident coming into tonight and I think the Yankees do as well. They're back at home, where some of the deep fly balls from Comerica will end up in the stands if they put similar swings on hittable pitches tonight. They've got a damn good pitcher on the hill, a fully stocked bullpen on standby, and a packed house of rabid fans cheering them on. You can't ask for much more than that if you're a professional baseball player in this situation.
This isn't a song, and it's from a football movie, but a lot of the lessons still apply. Baseball is definitely a game of inches. And if you don't get goosebumps listening to this speech then you're not human.
Starting Lineups:
NYY- Jeter (SS), C-Grand (CF), Cano (2B), The Horse (3B), Teck-SHARE-uh (1B), Swish (RF), Jorge (DH), Martin (C), Gardner (LF)
DET- Jackson (CF), Kelly (3B), Young (LF), Cabrera (1B), Martinez (DH), Ordonez (RF), Avila (C), Peralta (SS), Santiago (2B)
3 Things to Watch For:
1) Starter Adjustments/Who Can Finish
It's the 2nd time around against the same team in less than a week for the 2 starting pitchers tonight, and you know both clubs have been reviewing video of their at-bats against them in Game 1. It will be equally important for SuperNova and Fister to not fall into a similar routine to what they did last Saturday. They need to change their approaches, continue to mix pitches, and not get predictable with their offerings based on count. Whoever can do that better will have the better outing. Building off of that theme, the pitcher who can finish off hitters and finish off innings better will also give his team a better chance to win. Nova excelled at working out of his jams in Game 1, and generally put guys away when he had them down. Fister's inability to do that in the 5th and 6th innings of Game 1 was his undoing.
2) The Horse At The Plate
As I touched on yesterday, The Horse finally started to look like himself at the plate in Game 4, which bodes well for his chances against a pitcher who doesn't have dynamite stuff like Fister tonight. Word around the Yankee clubhouse this morning was that A-Rod looked good in his pregame canter around the field. He was energetic and lively, and he even ate ALL his oats and carrots at lunch time. He's just finishing up getting brushed right now before taking some BP. If he looks as smooth and balanced tonight as he did in the 8th inning on Tuesday, we could be in store for some 2009 A-Rod flashbacks.
3) Reliever "Freshness"
Another point I made after Game 4 was my concern that Joe not using D-Rob and Mo in Game 4 could lead them to be a little rusty tonight. Granted, I'll still take a rusty D-Rob or Mo over anybody else in the Yankee 'pen 25 hours a day, 8 days a week, but they are the types of pitchers who struggle specifically when they haven't pitched in a while. D-Rob has the tendency to lose his command, and Mo tends to not locate the cutter as well. It's obvious they are both going to be available for 6 outs apiece if needed tonight thanks to the rest, but even that could prove to be a potential pothole if they're forced to go from next to no work to 30-40 pitches. Hopefully Nova can put up a repeat 6-inning performance from Game 1 and take this discussion off the table, but I'll be paying extra close attention to how D-Rob and Mo's stuff looks when they get in the game.
Player to Watch: Ivan Nova
Even though he technically was a reliever in Game 1, Nova turned in the best starting performance from a Yankee pitcher in this series. He was cool, calm, confident, and he attacked the Tiger lineup with his full arsenal. Game 1 was the biggest game of his career up to that point and he passed that test with flying colors. How will he respond coming back in a do-or-die Game 5 setting? I've always liked the way Nova handles himself on the mound and I expect him to be solid tonight. If he's on early, he can help set the tone for this game and get the Yankee crowd in it. And if he puts up a repeat performance of Game 1, he could be looking at an ALDS MVP (even though that award doesn't really exist).
I love Game 5s and I hate Game 5s. Every pitch means a little more, every crack of the bat is a little more exciting, and every ball in play carries that extra little bit of tension. I feel confident coming into tonight and I think the Yankees do as well. They're back at home, where some of the deep fly balls from Comerica will end up in the stands if they put similar swings on hittable pitches tonight. They've got a damn good pitcher on the hill, a fully stocked bullpen on standby, and a packed house of rabid fans cheering them on. You can't ask for much more than that if you're a professional baseball player in this situation.
This isn't a song, and it's from a football movie, but a lot of the lessons still apply. Baseball is definitely a game of inches. And if you don't get goosebumps listening to this speech then you're not human.
Wednesday, October 5, 2011
That Looks Much Better
Something funny happened in the 8th inning of last night's game, funnier than Al Albuquerque's balk and even funnier than his wild pitch into the stands. Alex Rodriguez got 2 hits in the inning, his first and second of the series. And not only that, he looked damn good doing it. Up until those hits, I've been banging the "A-Rod is hurt" drum like Joey Jordison because he's looked so bad at the plate. But last night, the smoothness and balance to his swing suddenly came back.
Look at that. The hips are rotated perfectly. The arms are in time with the hip motion. The weight is distributed perfectly. And the timing is right on point with where the pitch was delivered. That's the swing on his hit to lead off the inning, and the swing on his 2nd hit was just as pretty. This is the swing we see when The Horse is on his game, and the 8th inning last night was the first time I remember seeing that swing since he came back.
Maybe this means the thumb isn't as bad as I thought. Maybe it means that his other bumps and bruises are healed. Maybe it means A-Rod really did just need to shake the rust off. Whatever it means, the one thing we should all take from it is that The Horse might be starting to round back into form. And if that's the case, his timing couldn't better. A locked in Horse is a dangerous Horse, and it could spell good things for the rest of a lineup that started to stir last night. I know I would not want to be in Doug Fister's cleats tomorrow night on the mound after seeing this take place last night.
(Screen cap courtesy of MLB.com video)
Look at that. The hips are rotated perfectly. The arms are in time with the hip motion. The weight is distributed perfectly. And the timing is right on point with where the pitch was delivered. That's the swing on his hit to lead off the inning, and the swing on his 2nd hit was just as pretty. This is the swing we see when The Horse is on his game, and the 8th inning last night was the first time I remember seeing that swing since he came back.
Maybe this means the thumb isn't as bad as I thought. Maybe it means that his other bumps and bruises are healed. Maybe it means A-Rod really did just need to shake the rust off. Whatever it means, the one thing we should all take from it is that The Horse might be starting to round back into form. And if that's the case, his timing couldn't better. A locked in Horse is a dangerous Horse, and it could spell good things for the rest of a lineup that started to stir last night. I know I would not want to be in Doug Fister's cleats tomorrow night on the mound after seeing this take place last night.
ALDS Game 4 Thoughts & Afterthoughts
(All smiles when you win. Courtesy of Getty Images)
You know what the best part of writing this recap is? I'm not nearly as hung over as I anticipated because I didn't have to drink nearly as much to make it through the game. Thanks, A.J.!
- I started getting a bad feeling that the jinx was on with TBS in the 1st inning when Brian Anderson stated that between the 2 teams, "only" Justin Verlander had better stuff than A.J. Ummm, CC Sabathia, anybody? Dave Robertson? Benoit? Scherzer?
- That was a pretty nice gallop by A-Rod to catch Santiago's pop-up bunt in the bottom of the 1st. Did you see that stride??? Majestic.
- The beer was flowing heavily when A.J. loaded the bases, forced the bullpen to get up, and had Larry Rothschild come out to talk to him in the 1st. If I were Rothschild, I would have just poked him in the eye, punched him in the sack, and walked back to the dugout. In a related story, I would have been a terrible pitching coach.
- I almost had a heart attack/shit myself on C-Grand's diving/jumping catch of Don Kelly's liner to end the 1st inning. If he doesn't catch that, that's 4 runs right there and probably the end of A.J.'s night. The catch later will get all the headlines (and with good reason), but the importance of that 1st inning catch should not be understated.
- This was one of the earliest comments I made last night on The Official AB4AR Facebook Page, but I'll say it again. The 7 combined pitches seen by Cano, A-Rod, Teix, and Swish in their first at-bats was fucking pathetic. Just bad times all around.
- After a bad A.J. cameo in the 1st inning, he and Rothschild went to the clubhouse to talk/look at video/do something, and we were treated to Good A.J. in the 2nd. His mechanics were much sharper, his delivery was smoother, and he threw just 10 pitches, 9 for strikes, to get out of the inning 1-2-3. Whatever happened between him and Larry between the 1st and 2nd really set the tone for the rest of A.J.'s outing.
- Jeter finally put a good swing on a hittable pitch to drive in the first runs of the game in the 3rd inning. Porcello left a sinker up and Jeter was right on the pitch. Bonus point for Russell Martin for the hustle to score from first AAAAAAND the great slide to avoid Avila's tag.
- After a flawless first 2 innings, Porcello started to drift up in the zone with his pitches in the 3rd and 4th, and it got him into trouble. He also couldn't locate his fastball inside to lefties and hit Teix and Jorge trying to work there. Halfway through the 4th inning it looked like the wheels could fall off for Porcello at any minute.
- The A.J. Burnett Experience was in full effect in the 4th inning after a solid 3rd- He lost the zone, fell behind Victor Martinez, gave up a HR to him, gave up a double to Peralta (Bad A.J.), then recovered to strike out Avila and Wilson Betemit to end the inning (Good A.J.). The back-to-back curveballs to Betemit were FILTHY.
- As lame as most commercials usually are during the postseason, the Geico commercial with the guinea pigs rowing a boat to power the dude's computer is absolutely fucking hilarious. When he's talking about how he had to train the guinea pigs? "Such a simple word. 'Row.'" That's good stuff right there.
- Joe Girardi could teach a college course on bad bunting strategy. Top 5th, 2 on, 0 out, Porcello teetering on the edge of falling apart, and Joe sends Jeter up to sac bunt the runners over. Did Joe not watch Jeter's previous at-bat where he took Porcello to the DEEPEST PART OF THE PARK FOR A 2-RBI DOUBLE?!?!?!?!?! And it was a terrible bunt that didn't even advance the runners, which is the risk you run when you take the bat out of people's hands. Fuckin' A, man. So stupid.
- The Yankees still managed to score in the inning, though, thanks to an awful pitch by Porcello to C-Grand. Fastball that was supposed to be in ran right back over the plate and Curtis ripped it into right for a double.
- And not for nothing, but the sac fly by The Horse that scored the 4th run probably would have been a double if he was healthy. That was another bad pitch by Porcello that caught too much of the plate.
- HUUUUUUGE bailout play by Ramon Santiago, swinging at the first pitch in the bottom of the 5th and grounding into a double play after Jackson's leadoff single. That could have led to another path down the Bad A.J. Trail, but it was immediately erased. What the hell was up with Jeter's throw to first, though? All the time in the world and he basically bounced the thing halfway between 1st and 2nd.
- Miguel Cabrera looked a little bummed out after lining out to Jeter to end the 6th inning. Somebody should have gotten him a drink. HIIYOOOOOOOOOO!!!!
Tuesday, October 4, 2011
Et Tu, Jose Valverde?
"It's over already. Verlander has it tomorrow. The next day we have the celebration in Detroit. They have a good team, but I think that's it for them."
What's that, Jose? You were saying? I could have sworn I heard you utter something stupid.
What's that, Jose? You were saying? I could have sworn I heard you utter something stupid.
(Assclown)
ALDS Game 4 Preview: A Season On The Brink
Pitching Matchup: A.J. Burnett (11-11) vs. Rick Porcello (14-9)
Starting Lineups:
NYY- Jeter (SS), C-Grand (CF), Cano (2B), A-Rod (3B), Teix (1B), Swish (RF), Jorge (DH), Martin (C), Gardner (LF)
DET- Jackson (CF), Santiago (2B), Young (LF), Cabrera (1B), Martinez (DH), Kelly (RF), Peralta (SS), Avila (C), Betemit (3B)
3 Things to Watch For:
1) Which Starting Pitcher Blinks First
Verlander-CC it ain't tonight, as A.J. Burnett, he of the 5.15 ERA/4.77 FIP in 2011, faces Rick Porcello and his 4.75/4.06 line. As guys who weren't expected to factor into the equation this series, both will have the shortest of short hooks ready for them tonight from their managers and it will be critical for them to limit damage if/when they put runners on. These guys are opposites in their makeup, A.J. all stuff and no command and Porcello not much stuff so relying on command, and history suggests A.J. could be in for the better outing (if that means anything). In 6 outings and 30 innings over the last 4 seasons, A.J. has allowed 13 ER and 35 baserunners against Detroit. Porcello has given up 16 ER and 45 baserunners over 29 innings in that same timeframe, striking out only 11 in the process. Whichever guy can buck the trend of poor pitching in 2011 and shaky histories against the other team will give his club a leg up.
2) Which Random Tiger Hitter Makes a Key Play
In Game 1 it was Delmon Young going 2-4 with a HR and 2 runs scored. In Game 2 it was Don Kelly pinch hitting in the top of the 9th and getting what turned out to be a very important insurance run on an RBI single. Last night it was the immortal Ramon Santiago and his .260/.311/.384 season line going 2-4 with 2 RBI. I thought it would be Miguel Cabrera who would carry the team, and he did his fair share of damage in Game 2, but the Tigers have consistently gotten offense from some unlikely sources in this series. With what he showed in the past 2 games, it could be Brandon Inge that steps up tonight, but I'm hopeful he'll decide not to and make a liar out of me.
3) Which Yankee Hitter Decides to Start Hitting
The Horse doesn't have a hit in 10 ABs this series. Russell Martin has 1 in 9. Swish 2 in 11. Teix 1 in 11 with 4 Ks (and just 16 in 99 career postseason ABs as a Yankee). Jeter has 4 hits but 6 Ks and a small army left on the basepaths. Cano has been nonexistent since Game 1. It's essentially Jorge Posada and Brett Gardner carrying the offensive load right now, and that just doesn't cut the mustard. The Yankees are facing a guy who they've knocked around before and are set up for tonight to be the night to start breaking out of this mini-funk (can't call it a slump after just 2 games). The question is, who's going to be the one to do it? Who's going to lead the charge, get the ball rolling, and get some good vibes going at the plate? The cliche "hitting is contagious" has some truth to it, and somebody needs to start spreading those germs early tonight.
Player to Watch: A.J. Burnett
All the hitting in the world don't mean shit if your pitcher can't hold the lead. It's what the Yanks experienced last night with their best on the mound and it's something they've experienced multiple times with A.J., their worst, on the mound. A.J. was much better in September than he was in August, but his signature outing was still against a Fraud Sawx team that had packed it in. The Tigers are a team on the verge of advancing to the ALCS and aren't going to roll over for him like Bahhston did. A.J. needs to be sharp, he needs to work quickly, and he needs to get ahead in counts because he's going to have Phil Hughes handcuffed to him from the start if signs point to him melting down. Out of all the pitchers I say this about, A.J. is probably the easiest guy to recognize when he doesn't have it. So tonight, we need to see this guy:
... and not this guy:
It's do-or-die time for the Yankees. Tonight is their Game 5. I'd much rather have at least one more day to write game previews and pick out YouTube songs instead of starting to figure out what offseason topics I'm going to discuss first. The offense has sleepwalked through the last 2 games, not taking advantage of all the chances they've had. Tonight they need to get it together and wake up. A little RATM should help that.
Starting Lineups:
NYY- Jeter (SS), C-Grand (CF), Cano (2B), A-Rod (3B), Teix (1B), Swish (RF), Jorge (DH), Martin (C), Gardner (LF)
DET- Jackson (CF), Santiago (2B), Young (LF), Cabrera (1B), Martinez (DH), Kelly (RF), Peralta (SS), Avila (C), Betemit (3B)
3 Things to Watch For:
1) Which Starting Pitcher Blinks First
Verlander-CC it ain't tonight, as A.J. Burnett, he of the 5.15 ERA/4.77 FIP in 2011, faces Rick Porcello and his 4.75/4.06 line. As guys who weren't expected to factor into the equation this series, both will have the shortest of short hooks ready for them tonight from their managers and it will be critical for them to limit damage if/when they put runners on. These guys are opposites in their makeup, A.J. all stuff and no command and Porcello not much stuff so relying on command, and history suggests A.J. could be in for the better outing (if that means anything). In 6 outings and 30 innings over the last 4 seasons, A.J. has allowed 13 ER and 35 baserunners against Detroit. Porcello has given up 16 ER and 45 baserunners over 29 innings in that same timeframe, striking out only 11 in the process. Whichever guy can buck the trend of poor pitching in 2011 and shaky histories against the other team will give his club a leg up.
2) Which Random Tiger Hitter Makes a Key Play
In Game 1 it was Delmon Young going 2-4 with a HR and 2 runs scored. In Game 2 it was Don Kelly pinch hitting in the top of the 9th and getting what turned out to be a very important insurance run on an RBI single. Last night it was the immortal Ramon Santiago and his .260/.311/.384 season line going 2-4 with 2 RBI. I thought it would be Miguel Cabrera who would carry the team, and he did his fair share of damage in Game 2, but the Tigers have consistently gotten offense from some unlikely sources in this series. With what he showed in the past 2 games, it could be Brandon Inge that steps up tonight, but I'm hopeful he'll decide not to and make a liar out of me.
3) Which Yankee Hitter Decides to Start Hitting
The Horse doesn't have a hit in 10 ABs this series. Russell Martin has 1 in 9. Swish 2 in 11. Teix 1 in 11 with 4 Ks (and just 16 in 99 career postseason ABs as a Yankee). Jeter has 4 hits but 6 Ks and a small army left on the basepaths. Cano has been nonexistent since Game 1. It's essentially Jorge Posada and Brett Gardner carrying the offensive load right now, and that just doesn't cut the mustard. The Yankees are facing a guy who they've knocked around before and are set up for tonight to be the night to start breaking out of this mini-funk (can't call it a slump after just 2 games). The question is, who's going to be the one to do it? Who's going to lead the charge, get the ball rolling, and get some good vibes going at the plate? The cliche "hitting is contagious" has some truth to it, and somebody needs to start spreading those germs early tonight.
Player to Watch: A.J. Burnett
All the hitting in the world don't mean shit if your pitcher can't hold the lead. It's what the Yanks experienced last night with their best on the mound and it's something they've experienced multiple times with A.J., their worst, on the mound. A.J. was much better in September than he was in August, but his signature outing was still against a Fraud Sawx team that had packed it in. The Tigers are a team on the verge of advancing to the ALCS and aren't going to roll over for him like Bahhston did. A.J. needs to be sharp, he needs to work quickly, and he needs to get ahead in counts because he's going to have Phil Hughes handcuffed to him from the start if signs point to him melting down. Out of all the pitchers I say this about, A.J. is probably the easiest guy to recognize when he doesn't have it. So tonight, we need to see this guy:
... and not this guy:
It's do-or-die time for the Yankees. Tonight is their Game 5. I'd much rather have at least one more day to write game previews and pick out YouTube songs instead of starting to figure out what offseason topics I'm going to discuss first. The offense has sleepwalked through the last 2 games, not taking advantage of all the chances they've had. Tonight they need to get it together and wake up. A little RATM should help that.
Thanks, Gerry
Yeah, the zone was about even. From Max Scherzer getting strikes on pitches that crossed the on-deck circle on Sunday to CC not getting strikes that were right on the corners last night. Gotta love it. OK, I'm done bitching about the umps. I'll start moving on to bitching about A.J.
Bigger, better quality versions of the above graphs can be found here at Brooks Baseball.
ALDS Game 3 Thoughts & Afterthoughts
(The horror. The HORROR! Courtesy of The AP)
- The Yankees came out swinging against Verlander in the 1st and it paid off with a couple of quick runs. It also forced Verlander to abandon his usual early-inning routine of throwing nice and easy and dial up the fastball to the high-90s/100, which seemed like a positive omen for the Yanks.
- Great baserunning play by C-Grand on the 2nd run, running on contact and forcing another iffy play by Detroit defense where they had to take the sure out instead of trying to prevent a run.
- He might not win the Gold Glove this year because of his sloppy errors, but that was an all-world turn by Robbie Cano on the DP ball in the top of the 1st. Literally all arm on the play. I would probably tear my rotator cuff trying to do that.
- The swing-early approach worked for the Yanks in the top of the 1st, but when Verlander changed his approach up and started going to the offspeed stuff, and missing, in the 2nd, they should have adapted as well. Instead Swish swung at a borderline 2-0 pitch and popped out to left, and Martin grounded into a DP first-pitch swinging to get Verlander out of the inning quickly. Oofda.
- It was clear from the start that CC's fastball command was not there last night. He couldn't locate it down in the zone, and when he missed up, he missed WAY up. And he couldn't get the changeup to consistently start in and fall out of the zone. 5 BB in a game for CC is practically unheard of, let alone 5 walks to the first 10 batters he faced through 2+ innings.
- It also didn't help his cause that homeplate ump Gerry Davis was not giving him ANYTHING on the outside corner. CC could hit his spots there, or at least come close, but Davis was having none of it, and that certainly contributed to CC's walks and high pitch count in the early innings.
- Between the 2 teams there were 5 double plays turned in the first 3 innings. That was really the only thing saving CC too, so it was a good thing he was facing a swing-happy lineup.
- Give some credit to the Tiger lineup as well for making CC work. They did exactly what the Yankees usually do to Verlander: worked the count, fouled a lot of pitches off, didn't chase stuff in the dirt. They could sense that CC didn't have that sharp stuff that he had early in Game 1 and approached their at-bats accordingly. Kudos.
- Moving through the 3rd-4th innings, it was clear that CC wasn't finding his groove and even more clear that Verlander was. He was locating his change and curve well and starting to mix them up with the fastball. The short turnaround clearly did not affect Verlander as much as it did CC, despite the prevailing thought being the opposite going into the game. They each had their stuff, but Verlander was able to find his command and pitch where he wanted to after a couple innings while CC never could.
- Verlander in the 5th inning was a thing of beauty. He threw 10 pitches, 9 of them strikes, and made Posada, Martin, and Gardner look downright foolish as they got their knees bent and bodies frozen by the curve and then flailed helplessly at the fastball. Just a clinic on how to mix pitches in that inning.
- Yet another bad pitching decision by Joe to bring CC back out to start the 6th. I don't care that it was L, R, L that inning, CC was done after a long 5th. When he's giving up doubles into the gap to Ramon Santiago and throwing wild pitches, that's a sign that the wheels have come off and Joe should have let the 5th inning be the end. Instead, he once again failed to go to his stacked bullpen and it cost the Yanks another run. At some point, somebody needs to tell Joe that this IS the ALDS and not some mid-July series.
- Teix moving out of the way of that Verlander curve inside in the top of the 7th was the pussiest thing I've seen since that all-girl porn parody of "X-Men: First Class." Take one for the team, guy! Especially when you aren't doing a goddamn thing with the bat to help.
- Go figure that Jorge Posada is the only Yankee hitter who has looked good at the plate throughout this series. This is the same guy who people were talking about releasing in the summer and who I wanted taken out to Monument Park and shot.
"It's like RAAAA-yeeeeee-AAAAAAIN. On your wedding day... "
- Just a great at-bat by Gardner in the 7th on the game-tying double. He saw Verlander start to lose it a bit in the Posada/Martin at-bats, and took until he got in a favorable count. 3-1 he was looking fastball all the way and he put a great swing on it. If he could hit situationally like that on a regular basis, he'd be in the All Star Game every year.
- The Jorge at-bat prior to that was just as good. He didn't start hacking when he fell behind in the count, and he was reading every pitch perfectly out of Verlander's hand. I would have bet my next 2 months' salary that Jorge would have looked lost last night against Verlander, but he was right on point.
"It's a freeeee riiyiide. When you're already late."
- He said he thought he threw a good pitch, but I'm here to educate Rafael Soriano. Throwing a first-pitch fastball over the outside half of the plate to Delmon Young, a first-pitch hitter AAAAAAND a fastball hitter who has shown opposite field power, is never a good pitch.
- Props to Smoltz for the "Dumb and Dumber" reference in the 8th inning. I have to admit, I don't hate the team of Anderson, Smoltz, and Darling calling the game. And Tom Verducci is very useful as the in-game reporter. Ken Rosenthal should take notes.
- Admittedly this is me being sour grapes, but Verlander DID get more calls on the corner than CC last night. Some of the outside strikes and high strikes he got in the 6th-8th were the same pitches CC was throwing for balls in the 1st-3rd. In related news, Gerry Davis is a cocksucker.
- Did anybody else have absolutely 0 confidence that Teix was going to come through after A-Rod walked in the 8th? I know I did. I almost clicked the TV over to the end of WWE Raw I was so sure he was going to get out. And he didn't disappoint. Question, would the fans at The Stadium have booed Teix after that pop-up?
- The injuries have made him a shell of himself at the plate, but A-Rod has played a fantastic 3rd base in this series, especially last night. Maybe the knee isn't bothering him as much because he looks smooth in the field, and at least he's contributing some way.
- Top 9th, Swish has another 2-0 count, and he fucking pops up to 3rd on a pitch right down the middle from Valverde. The last beer bottle almost went through the TV screen on that one.
- If you're keeping score at home, Jeter has now left 784 men on base in the last 2 games.
- Even though CC barely had his C-game last night, the Yankees still had plenty of chances to win and didn't get it done. Verlander made a few more pitches when he had to, and the Tiger offense got a few more timely hits, and that was the difference. Now it's do-or-die time tonight and the Yankees rest their hopes on the arm of the man who inspires the least amount of hope in recent Yankee history. I might have to start drinking at work this afternoon to prepare myself for tonight.
Monday, October 3, 2011
Not To Be A Downer Or Anything...
... But the hopes of the Yankee season rest on this guy tomorrow:
Jesus fucking Christ...
Jesus fucking Christ...
ALDS Game 3 Preview: Ace Vs. Ace (Again)
Pitching Matchup: Sabathia (19-8) vs. Verlander (24-5)
Starting Lineups:
NYY- Jeter (SS), C-Grand (CF), Cano (2B), A-Rod (3B), Teix (1B), Swish (RF), Jorge (DH), Martin (C), Gardner (LF)
DET- Jackson (CF), Santiago (2B), Young (LF), Cabrera (1B), Martinez (DH), Ordonez (RF), Peralta (SS), Avila (C), Inge (3B)
3 Things to Watch For:
1) Verlander & CC The 2nd Time Around
With Game 3 being in Detroit, it would seem logical that Verlander has more of an advantage here than in Game 1. But in looking at the numbers, Verlander's home/road splits are marginal (2.37/2.69 home, 2.43/3.26 road) and CC's road numbers (2.93 ERA/3.03 FIP) are just as good as what he did at home. The bigger factor is going to be recent performance. And in looking back at Game 1, CC appeared to be the better pitcher before the rains came (home run aside) while Verlander struggled with his command through a 25-pitch 1st inning. If CC can carry over his apparently rediscovered command from Game 1 and Verlander is still having issues, the homefield advantage could be flipped on its head.
2) A Jesus Sighting
Jeter looked awful last night, Teix's new stance still isn't returning any dividends, A-Rod is a walking injury report, and the team is coming off of a rough offensive outing. Surprisingly enough, Jorge Posada has been the best Yankee hitter not named Robinson Cano through the first 2 games, so it's unlikely Montero would unseat him tonight. But we saw Joe roll the dice with Chavez last night to try to get a spark. If Verlander is rolling and the offense is sputtering again in this game, I wouldn't be surprised to see him give Jesus an at-bat to try light that same spark.
3) Bullpen Hierarchies
Perhaps the lone good thing to come out of yesterday's late innings was the fact that both Joaquin Benoit and Jose Valverde had to work relatively hard to get through their innings. 23 in 2 innings was efficient for Benoit, but I'd be surprised if he was available for more than 1, and it took Valverde 34 to navigate his way through the 9th inning. If their availability is limited, the next guy in line is Al Albuquerque, who needed all of 2 pitches to blow the game out of reach in Game 1. Jim Leyland might have to be careful/creative to manage his 'pen if Verlander doesn't give him 7 or 8, while Joe theoretically has his Big 3 each available for more than 3 outs if needed (assuming he doesn't just decide to use Ayala again). While they're counting on him to deliver tonight, the Yankees don't have to lean on CC quite as much as Detroit will on Verlander tonight.
Player to Watch: Verlander
Because of the above reason, Verlander will be the key to tonight's game. If he's got the adrenaline in check early and can work through the first couple innings without throwing 60+ pitches, he puts himself in a good position to go the distance and his team in a better position to win. If the Yankees can work counts and foul off pitches against him like they have all season, the advantage he provides becomes negated and things swing New York's way heading into the late innings. If there are any Cy Young voters out there tonight who still aren't sold on Verlander, this is his chance to end those doubts (and don't even try to argue that postseason doesn't mean anything for that. You and I both know better).
The Tigers got the split they were looking for in New York and now have the homefield advantage in a best-of-3. They can swing the momentum even further in their favor tonight, and they've got the guy they would want on the mound to lead them. But the Yanks are countering with their hoss and tonight should be the all-time ALDS pitching matchup we were hoping to get in Game 1. It's Verlander vs. CC, ace vs. ace, strength vs. strength, and fire vs. fire.
Starting Lineups:
NYY- Jeter (SS), C-Grand (CF), Cano (2B), A-Rod (3B), Teix (1B), Swish (RF), Jorge (DH), Martin (C), Gardner (LF)
DET- Jackson (CF), Santiago (2B), Young (LF), Cabrera (1B), Martinez (DH), Ordonez (RF), Peralta (SS), Avila (C), Inge (3B)
3 Things to Watch For:
1) Verlander & CC The 2nd Time Around
With Game 3 being in Detroit, it would seem logical that Verlander has more of an advantage here than in Game 1. But in looking at the numbers, Verlander's home/road splits are marginal (2.37/2.69 home, 2.43/3.26 road) and CC's road numbers (2.93 ERA/3.03 FIP) are just as good as what he did at home. The bigger factor is going to be recent performance. And in looking back at Game 1, CC appeared to be the better pitcher before the rains came (home run aside) while Verlander struggled with his command through a 25-pitch 1st inning. If CC can carry over his apparently rediscovered command from Game 1 and Verlander is still having issues, the homefield advantage could be flipped on its head.
2) A Jesus Sighting
Jeter looked awful last night, Teix's new stance still isn't returning any dividends, A-Rod is a walking injury report, and the team is coming off of a rough offensive outing. Surprisingly enough, Jorge Posada has been the best Yankee hitter not named Robinson Cano through the first 2 games, so it's unlikely Montero would unseat him tonight. But we saw Joe roll the dice with Chavez last night to try to get a spark. If Verlander is rolling and the offense is sputtering again in this game, I wouldn't be surprised to see him give Jesus an at-bat to try light that same spark.
3) Bullpen Hierarchies
Perhaps the lone good thing to come out of yesterday's late innings was the fact that both Joaquin Benoit and Jose Valverde had to work relatively hard to get through their innings. 23 in 2 innings was efficient for Benoit, but I'd be surprised if he was available for more than 1, and it took Valverde 34 to navigate his way through the 9th inning. If their availability is limited, the next guy in line is Al Albuquerque, who needed all of 2 pitches to blow the game out of reach in Game 1. Jim Leyland might have to be careful/creative to manage his 'pen if Verlander doesn't give him 7 or 8, while Joe theoretically has his Big 3 each available for more than 3 outs if needed (assuming he doesn't just decide to use Ayala again). While they're counting on him to deliver tonight, the Yankees don't have to lean on CC quite as much as Detroit will on Verlander tonight.
Player to Watch: Verlander
Because of the above reason, Verlander will be the key to tonight's game. If he's got the adrenaline in check early and can work through the first couple innings without throwing 60+ pitches, he puts himself in a good position to go the distance and his team in a better position to win. If the Yankees can work counts and foul off pitches against him like they have all season, the advantage he provides becomes negated and things swing New York's way heading into the late innings. If there are any Cy Young voters out there tonight who still aren't sold on Verlander, this is his chance to end those doubts (and don't even try to argue that postseason doesn't mean anything for that. You and I both know better).
The Tigers got the split they were looking for in New York and now have the homefield advantage in a best-of-3. They can swing the momentum even further in their favor tonight, and they've got the guy they would want on the mound to lead them. But the Yanks are countering with their hoss and tonight should be the all-time ALDS pitching matchup we were hoping to get in Game 1. It's Verlander vs. CC, ace vs. ace, strength vs. strength, and fire vs. fire.
ALDS Game 2 Thoughts & Afterthoughts
(Get the fuck off my mound. Courtesy of The AP)
** This is based on my listening to the last 3 innings of yesterday's game in the car and reading the various game recaps from around the Yankee blogosphere **
- All in all, Freddy didn't have a bad outing yesterday. He got beat by Miguel Cabrera, which is something a lot of other pitchers can relate to, and his final line didn't look great when it's paired next to 6 innings of shutout ball. But between the home run and the rough 6th inning he only allowed a couple hits, didn't walk a batter, and struck out 6, which is damn good against the Detroit lineup. But like we saw with Fister in Game 1, a few bad pitches here and there can ruin your day and that's what happened to Freddy.
- I'd like to give the kid credit, but when you're a flyball pitcher with a 5.23/4.78 ERA/FIP split on the road this season pitching in Yankee Stadium, I just can't. It's flat out unacceptable that the Yankee offense could do nothing against Max Scherzer yesterday. My buddy who was watching the game said he was getting the Maddux-Glavine treatment on the corners big time, which could have helped, but there is just no reason why the Yankee offense should ever get shutout (and almost no-hit) by the likes of Max Scherzer.
- There's a lot of calls for A-Rod to be bumped down in the order with the way he's swinging the bat right now, but I'm going to take it a step further. I think he needs to be out of the lineup and on the bench. He is injured. Not hurt, injured. Whatever is wrong with his thumb and his knee is worse than the Yankees are letting on and I can't wait to hear what the real injuries are once the season ends because he looks horrific at the plate.
He has no power or speed in his swing right now, and he's a black hole in the cleanup spot of the order. Despite Joe's best efforts to convince us, A-Rod doesn't even come close to passing the eye test right now in terms of healthy and I think it's better for the team if he takes a seat and lets somebody healthy swing the bat.
- And while we're speaking of The Horse, a big "fuck you" to all the fans who booed him yesterday after he popped up in the 8th. The guy is clearly hurt and even though he's useless right now, he's still out there trying for his team. Where were all those boos for Teix and Swish when they flailed through the '09 and 2010 postseasons? Where were the boos for Jeter yesterday for his 0-5 with 2 Ks, a costly error, and about 9,000 guys left on base? Booing A-Rod because he's an easy target is cheap, low, and the sign of a stupid fan. The people who did that yesterday shouldn't be let back in The Stadium for Game 5.
- I didn't have a problem with Joe pinch hitting Chavez for Gardner yesterday. Yeah, Gardner had made solid contact the last time up, but the offense was still anemic and Joe was looking for a spark. It didn't work out, but in that situation I thought it was worth a shot.
- What I have a huge problem with is Joe waving the white flag in the 9th by bringing out Luis Ayala AGAIN!!! This is the same guy who blew the last game of the regular season and couldn't manage to work through an inning with an 8-run lead to close Game 1. Question- What's wrong with this picture?:
Ayala IP this series- 1.1. Mo, D-Rob, Soriano IP this series- 0.1
Answer- EVERYTHING. You don't hold your best guys back in a 3-run playoff game where you have last ups. Bring them in and shut the other team down to give yourself a chance. And with the way the Yankee 9th played out, that run loomed huge. A day after he talked about having the ability to use his big guns multiple times thanks to Nova's work in Game 1, Joe goes back to his worst bullpen guy in a close game. Just a fucking horrible, stupid, unforgivable decision by Joe.
- Last one on Joe, and I know I'll be in the minority here, but how the fuck does he not pinch run Dickerson for Posada after Jorge's triple in the 9th? I know the logic is that the 1 run doesn't mean that much in that situation, but I disagree. Every run is important when you're down in the bottom of the 9th and you want to give your team the best chance to score as many as possible. Sure, it would have been nice for somebody to crank a HR, but if there's a shallow fly ball hit to right center, I want to make sure that run from 3rd will score and cut down the deficit. Jorge would never make that play, but Dickerson would. That's what he's on the roster for and Joe didn't use him in a situation tailor made for Dickerson's skill set. In the end, it didn't mean much, but that was still an awful non-call by Joe in my mind.
That's it for Game 2. It sucked and it's over. Let's move on to Game 3 and the Game 3 Preview coming this afternoon.
Sunday, October 2, 2011
ALDS Game 2 Preview: Abbreviated Version
Heading out to breakfast and then the track soon, so here's what I got.
Pitching Matchup: Freddy Garcia vs. Max Scherzer.
3 Things to Watch For:
1) Tigers' Approach vs. Freddy- swing early and try to beat him up on the slow fastball or patience and let him use all his junk?
2) Joe's Hook with Freddy- well-rested bullpen and CC coming back tomorrow. Joe might not give Freddy a lot of slack on his line if he starts to struggle.
3) Robbie Cano- He looked completely locked in last night. What will he do today for an encore? 2 more HRs? 3? Will Detroit even pitch to him with a weak A-Rod hitting behind him?
Player To Watch: Mark Teixeira
The stance and swing from the left side looked better last night, and he's facing another righty today. If he keeps using all fields, Teix can get back to being the dangerous hitter he's always been.
Game starts at 3:07 Eastern/2:07 Central. I'll miss the whole thing.
Pitching Matchup: Freddy Garcia vs. Max Scherzer.
3 Things to Watch For:
1) Tigers' Approach vs. Freddy- swing early and try to beat him up on the slow fastball or patience and let him use all his junk?
2) Joe's Hook with Freddy- well-rested bullpen and CC coming back tomorrow. Joe might not give Freddy a lot of slack on his line if he starts to struggle.
3) Robbie Cano- He looked completely locked in last night. What will he do today for an encore? 2 more HRs? 3? Will Detroit even pitch to him with a weak A-Rod hitting behind him?
Player To Watch: Mark Teixeira
The stance and swing from the left side looked better last night, and he's facing another righty today. If he keeps using all fields, Teix can get back to being the dangerous hitter he's always been.
Game starts at 3:07 Eastern/2:07 Central. I'll miss the whole thing.
ALDS Game 1 Thoughts & Afterthoughts
- What the hell was Jorge Posada thinking/doing when he wandered off 3rd on that groundball in the bottom of the 2nd? On that play, you freeze when the 3rd baseman makes the play, and start moving towards 3rd as he checks you to force the throw to 1st. Jorge decided to continue to move down the baseline when Inge caught the ball and STILL continued to move down the line as Inge came towards him. By the time Jorge decided to break for home, Inge could have rolled the ball to Avila at home for the out. Just a horrible play in what was the Yankees' only scoring opportunity until the 6th inning.
- Nova looked good early, attacking with the fastball, getting ahead in the count, and forcing the Tigers to swing at the pitches that he wanted them to. He was also working incredibly quickly, a very good sign for him.
- Teix, new stance and all, looked like dogshit in his 3-pitch K in the bottom of the 3rd. Luckily it sounds like he's already signed up for some offseason sessions at the Kevin Long School of Hitting.
- Nova had a bit of a hiccup in the 5th after allowing his first baserunner. His slider wasn't nearly as sharp out of the stretch, but he continued to locate the fastball well and worked out of trouble. And even out of the stretch, he never lost his rhythm.
- Great job by both C-Grand and Jeter on the relay to nail Avila at the plate in the 5th inning. Both got to the ball quickly, got rid of it quickly, and Martin was in perfect position to receive Jeter's throw. Putting the "fun" in "fundamentals."
- I thought it was the right call on the Cano 2B in the bottom of the 5th inning. The ball clearly hit the top of the wall and came back into play. Heads up play by C-Grand to continue running hard with 2 outs and not slowing up to see if it was a HR or not.
- Sometimes it's better to be lucky than good, and the double play off the bat of Ordonez in the 6th was a perfect example of that. Cano was breaking to second base to cover the steal attempt and the ball was hit right to him. After he stepped on the bag he had about 3 weeks to gather himself and throw Mags out. I'll take that.
- I know ESPN is still licking their wounds over the Fraud Sawx collapse, but Swish's diving catch in right to end the 6th had to be the top Web Gem of the night last night.
- Stat of the night in the bottom of the 6th- Swish came up with an 0-27 in his postseason career with RISP. Predictably, he struck out in that at-bat to run the streak to 0-28.
- Great piece of hitting by Gardner on his 2-RBI single in the 6th. Fister hung a curve and Gardner put a good swing on it to get it through the right side. That was the first time we really saw Fister miss his spot bad, and it was a sign of things to come.
- Another stroke of luck on the Jeter single to follow as Ryan Raburn was going to cover 2nd on Gardner's steal attempt and opened the hole for The Captain.
- PHENOMENAL at-bat by Curtis to follow Jeter, fighting back from an 0-2 count to draw a walk, load the bases for Cano, and force Fister out of the game. Fister had been cruising up until he got 2 outs in the 6th and then couldn't put the Yankee hitters away.
- Cano was looking slider all the way on his grand slam, and Al Albuquerque obliged, hanging one right over the plate after he missed up with his first one. It was a horrible pitch and Cano made him pay.
- From the "You Can't Predict Baseball, Suzyn" Department: Albuquerque didn't allow a HR in his 43.1 regular season innings pitched. Last night, he gave up a grand slam on his 2nd pitch.
- Mary Kay Messenger made me forget all about Ronan Tynan during the 7th inning stretch.
- Even though the first K was ugly, Teix already looked better at the plate last night with his new closed stance. His coverage of the outside corner was much better and we saw him take a couple pitches the other way, including his double off the wall. That's what's been missing from his game all year and it's good to see him already working to fix that.
- Cano's 6 RBI tied a Yankee postseason record last night. Tip of the cap for that, Robbie.
- I didn't understand why Joe even had Soriano warming up in the 6th when Nova was cruising and had a low pitch count, and I didn't understand why Ayala or Mo were up in the 9th. There was no need to even get Mo up, and Ayala just sucks.
- Speaking of which, who said Ayala shouldn't have made the playoff roster?? Oh that's right, I did. Nova deserved better than to have his line tarnished by the cheap late runs, and Ayala never should have been in that game after what he showed in his last outing. That's gotta be Cory Wade time, but oh well.
- All in all it was a solid outing for Nova. His fastball was sharp all night, and he used it to get ahead consistently. His slider was very inconsistent, but as both Smoltz and Darling touched on during the TBS broadcast, he was effectively wild with it. Sometimes he could spin it right where he wanted, and sometimes it was bouncing in front of the plate. It worked to Nova's advantage because the Tiger hitters could never square up on it, and when he had to throw a good one he did on multiple occasions. Impressive outing by the kid.
- Fister was equally sharp early on, using all 4 of his pitches well to keep the Yankees off balance. But for whatever reason, he started to lose it in the 6th and couldn't put away 3 straight guys with 2 outs. That walk to C-Grand was definitely the key at-bat in that inning, and after the Cano HR Fister's line ended up uglier than it really was.
- Tough night for the homeplate ump. Took a couple balls off the groin region and one in the face off of Nova's wild slider. He had to be only too happy to see Nova get taken out in the 9th.
- Good win for the Yanks all around last night. They worked the starter out of the game, started to insert some doubt into the Tiger bullpen, and saved their key 'pen guys to be ready today and tomorrow if needed.
- Nova looked good early, attacking with the fastball, getting ahead in the count, and forcing the Tigers to swing at the pitches that he wanted them to. He was also working incredibly quickly, a very good sign for him.
- Teix, new stance and all, looked like dogshit in his 3-pitch K in the bottom of the 3rd. Luckily it sounds like he's already signed up for some offseason sessions at the Kevin Long School of Hitting.
- Nova had a bit of a hiccup in the 5th after allowing his first baserunner. His slider wasn't nearly as sharp out of the stretch, but he continued to locate the fastball well and worked out of trouble. And even out of the stretch, he never lost his rhythm.
- Great job by both C-Grand and Jeter on the relay to nail Avila at the plate in the 5th inning. Both got to the ball quickly, got rid of it quickly, and Martin was in perfect position to receive Jeter's throw. Putting the "fun" in "fundamentals."
- I thought it was the right call on the Cano 2B in the bottom of the 5th inning. The ball clearly hit the top of the wall and came back into play. Heads up play by C-Grand to continue running hard with 2 outs and not slowing up to see if it was a HR or not.
- Sometimes it's better to be lucky than good, and the double play off the bat of Ordonez in the 6th was a perfect example of that. Cano was breaking to second base to cover the steal attempt and the ball was hit right to him. After he stepped on the bag he had about 3 weeks to gather himself and throw Mags out. I'll take that.
- I know ESPN is still licking their wounds over the Fraud Sawx collapse, but Swish's diving catch in right to end the 6th had to be the top Web Gem of the night last night.
- Stat of the night in the bottom of the 6th- Swish came up with an 0-27 in his postseason career with RISP. Predictably, he struck out in that at-bat to run the streak to 0-28.
- Great piece of hitting by Gardner on his 2-RBI single in the 6th. Fister hung a curve and Gardner put a good swing on it to get it through the right side. That was the first time we really saw Fister miss his spot bad, and it was a sign of things to come.
- Another stroke of luck on the Jeter single to follow as Ryan Raburn was going to cover 2nd on Gardner's steal attempt and opened the hole for The Captain.
- PHENOMENAL at-bat by Curtis to follow Jeter, fighting back from an 0-2 count to draw a walk, load the bases for Cano, and force Fister out of the game. Fister had been cruising up until he got 2 outs in the 6th and then couldn't put the Yankee hitters away.
- Cano was looking slider all the way on his grand slam, and Al Albuquerque obliged, hanging one right over the plate after he missed up with his first one. It was a horrible pitch and Cano made him pay.
- From the "You Can't Predict Baseball, Suzyn" Department: Albuquerque didn't allow a HR in his 43.1 regular season innings pitched. Last night, he gave up a grand slam on his 2nd pitch.
- Mary Kay Messenger made me forget all about Ronan Tynan during the 7th inning stretch.
- Even though the first K was ugly, Teix already looked better at the plate last night with his new closed stance. His coverage of the outside corner was much better and we saw him take a couple pitches the other way, including his double off the wall. That's what's been missing from his game all year and it's good to see him already working to fix that.
- Cano's 6 RBI tied a Yankee postseason record last night. Tip of the cap for that, Robbie.
- I didn't understand why Joe even had Soriano warming up in the 6th when Nova was cruising and had a low pitch count, and I didn't understand why Ayala or Mo were up in the 9th. There was no need to even get Mo up, and Ayala just sucks.
- Speaking of which, who said Ayala shouldn't have made the playoff roster?? Oh that's right, I did. Nova deserved better than to have his line tarnished by the cheap late runs, and Ayala never should have been in that game after what he showed in his last outing. That's gotta be Cory Wade time, but oh well.
- All in all it was a solid outing for Nova. His fastball was sharp all night, and he used it to get ahead consistently. His slider was very inconsistent, but as both Smoltz and Darling touched on during the TBS broadcast, he was effectively wild with it. Sometimes he could spin it right where he wanted, and sometimes it was bouncing in front of the plate. It worked to Nova's advantage because the Tiger hitters could never square up on it, and when he had to throw a good one he did on multiple occasions. Impressive outing by the kid.
- Fister was equally sharp early on, using all 4 of his pitches well to keep the Yankees off balance. But for whatever reason, he started to lose it in the 6th and couldn't put away 3 straight guys with 2 outs. That walk to C-Grand was definitely the key at-bat in that inning, and after the Cano HR Fister's line ended up uglier than it really was.
- Tough night for the homeplate ump. Took a couple balls off the groin region and one in the face off of Nova's wild slider. He had to be only too happy to see Nova get taken out in the 9th.
- Good win for the Yanks all around last night. They worked the starter out of the game, started to insert some doubt into the Tiger bullpen, and saved their key 'pen guys to be ready today and tomorrow if needed.
Saturday, October 1, 2011
A Quick Word On The CC/Rotation Situation
It's real simple. CC Sabathia should absolutely be coming back to start Game 2 tomorrow night. It shouldn't even be a debate. He's the Yankees's ace and the highest paid pitcher in baseball. Situations like this are exactly why the Yankees signed Sabathia in the first place, so why would they play it passive here and hold him out until Monday, moving Freddy's schedule up a day in the process?
Even if there is concern about bringing him back after just 1 day off (which there shouldn't be because he only threw 27 low-stress pitches last night), the more important thing to consider is that bringing CC back tomorrow sets him up to pitch Game 5 instead of Ivan Nova. No offense to Ivan Nova, but I want CC on the mound in a potential elimination game on short rest more than I want Nova on regular rest. Shit, I want CC on the mound on short rest for a Game 5 over anybody on the Yankee staff on regular rest. I would want CC on the mound in Game 5 if he had thrown 150 pitches the night before and had his arm chopped off after he was taken out of the game. And bringing him back to pitch Game 2 allows that to happen.
The weather screwed up the original rotation plans, I get that. But that doesn't mean the Yankees have to screw up the rest of it by playing it safe. The loss of the off day means they have to use a 4th starter in this series, likely A.J., and that makes it all the more important to have your best on the hill in a must-win game. And let's also not forget that CC's got an opt out clause kicking in after this season and surely wants to get paid more on his next deal. He's got plenty of incentive to go out on Sunday and pitch well and then come back for a potential Game 5 and do the same thing on short rest. He wants the ball, he has all the motivation in the world to want the ball to help his team and help his bottom line; give him the ball.
In a 5-game series, your ace should never pitch less than 2 games. CC is the Yankees' ace and is more than capable of coming back on short rest tomorrow and for a Game 5 if needed, especially after his shortened outing last night. If the Yankees win Game 1 tonight, he can put them on the brink of a sweep. If they lose, he's the guy they want out there to even things up. It's a win-win situation either way. Do the right thing, Joe. Put the big fella on the hill tomorrow.
Even if there is concern about bringing him back after just 1 day off (which there shouldn't be because he only threw 27 low-stress pitches last night), the more important thing to consider is that bringing CC back tomorrow sets him up to pitch Game 5 instead of Ivan Nova. No offense to Ivan Nova, but I want CC on the mound in a potential elimination game on short rest more than I want Nova on regular rest. Shit, I want CC on the mound on short rest for a Game 5 over anybody on the Yankee staff on regular rest. I would want CC on the mound in Game 5 if he had thrown 150 pitches the night before and had his arm chopped off after he was taken out of the game. And bringing him back to pitch Game 2 allows that to happen.
The weather screwed up the original rotation plans, I get that. But that doesn't mean the Yankees have to screw up the rest of it by playing it safe. The loss of the off day means they have to use a 4th starter in this series, likely A.J., and that makes it all the more important to have your best on the hill in a must-win game. And let's also not forget that CC's got an opt out clause kicking in after this season and surely wants to get paid more on his next deal. He's got plenty of incentive to go out on Sunday and pitch well and then come back for a potential Game 5 and do the same thing on short rest. He wants the ball, he has all the motivation in the world to want the ball to help his team and help his bottom line; give him the ball.
In a 5-game series, your ace should never pitch less than 2 games. CC is the Yankees' ace and is more than capable of coming back on short rest tomorrow and for a Game 5 if needed, especially after his shortened outing last night. If the Yankees win Game 1 tonight, he can put them on the brink of a sweep. If they lose, he's the guy they want out there to even things up. It's a win-win situation either way. Do the right thing, Joe. Put the big fella on the hill tomorrow.
ALDS Game 1 Preview: Take 2
Under the new MLB postseason rules, last night's game technically wasn't postponed, it was "suspended" and will resume today from the bottom of the 2nd when the suspension took place. That sounds like toMAYto/toMAHto to me, but whatever. The weather is supposed to be horseshit all day in the NY area, so who knows if we'll get Game 1 in today. In hopes that we will, we'll try to preview the rest of Game 1.
Pitching Matchup: Ivan Nova (16-4) vs. Doug Fister (11-13)
Starting Lineups: Same as last night. With the game starting from the 2nd inning, managers (mainly just Leyland) would be stupid to yank guys early in order to combat a righty pitcher and leave their bench short for the late innings.
3 Things to Watch For:
1) The Weather
It's already raining in the tri-state area and it's supposed to keep up all day and all night. MLB botched reading the radar last night, thinking there would just be "intermittent showers," so I'm sure if they think they can sneak the game in between any breaks in the weather tonight they're going to take the chance.
2) How Quickly Ivan Nova Works
Nova's no different than any other pitcher in that when he's feeling good he likes to work quickly. Pitch, get the ball, back on the rubber, pitch, repeat. Where Nova differs from a lot of other pitchers is in the experience department. He's been money for the Yankees this year, but this is his first postseason appearance and there could be butterflies in the stomach and a little extra adrenaline flowing through the body. How quickly he works on the mound tonight should be an indicator of how he's managing that extra stress and also how he's managing his stuff and command. The slower Nova works, the rougher his night could be.
3) Bullpen Management
Perhaps the biggest monkey wrench thrown into the series by last night's rainout is in the bullpens. Neither manager will be able to lean on their respective Big 3s now since they'll have no off days to rest them between Games 1-2 and 3-4. If the game stays close tonight into the late innings, watch for which manager caves first and goes with his big guns to hold a lead. Once they do, they almost have to commit to the big guns for the rest of the game, and that will force them to play the balancing act through game 4. Eventually, that will lead to a scenario where they will have to go with someone other than the regular setup men for a potentially high-leverage late inning later in the series, which might not work out. Whichever manager navigates tonight's late innings the best can not only help get his team a 1-0 series lead, but also be in a much better bullpen usage position moving forward through the rest of the series.
Player To Watch: Ivan Nova
Rookie making his first Major League postseason start? Yeah, that's a no-brainer that he's the guy to watch. How Nova fares tonight could determine whether or not Joe brings CC back for Game 2 on Sunday (which he should anyway, but that's a different discussion). Nova does have the fact that CC already finished 2 innings working for him, as he really only has to work through 4-5 tonight and then hand it over to the 'pen. But if he bombs early, then Joe has to scramble with his middle relief to bridge the gap and keep the game close.
Start breaking out the anti-rain dances early, Yankee fans, because Mother Nature is still feeling cranky today. Hopefully we can get this thing in.
Pitching Matchup: Ivan Nova (16-4) vs. Doug Fister (11-13)
Starting Lineups: Same as last night. With the game starting from the 2nd inning, managers (mainly just Leyland) would be stupid to yank guys early in order to combat a righty pitcher and leave their bench short for the late innings.
3 Things to Watch For:
1) The Weather
It's already raining in the tri-state area and it's supposed to keep up all day and all night. MLB botched reading the radar last night, thinking there would just be "intermittent showers," so I'm sure if they think they can sneak the game in between any breaks in the weather tonight they're going to take the chance.
2) How Quickly Ivan Nova Works
Nova's no different than any other pitcher in that when he's feeling good he likes to work quickly. Pitch, get the ball, back on the rubber, pitch, repeat. Where Nova differs from a lot of other pitchers is in the experience department. He's been money for the Yankees this year, but this is his first postseason appearance and there could be butterflies in the stomach and a little extra adrenaline flowing through the body. How quickly he works on the mound tonight should be an indicator of how he's managing that extra stress and also how he's managing his stuff and command. The slower Nova works, the rougher his night could be.
3) Bullpen Management
Perhaps the biggest monkey wrench thrown into the series by last night's rainout is in the bullpens. Neither manager will be able to lean on their respective Big 3s now since they'll have no off days to rest them between Games 1-2 and 3-4. If the game stays close tonight into the late innings, watch for which manager caves first and goes with his big guns to hold a lead. Once they do, they almost have to commit to the big guns for the rest of the game, and that will force them to play the balancing act through game 4. Eventually, that will lead to a scenario where they will have to go with someone other than the regular setup men for a potentially high-leverage late inning later in the series, which might not work out. Whichever manager navigates tonight's late innings the best can not only help get his team a 1-0 series lead, but also be in a much better bullpen usage position moving forward through the rest of the series.
Player To Watch: Ivan Nova
Rookie making his first Major League postseason start? Yeah, that's a no-brainer that he's the guy to watch. How Nova fares tonight could determine whether or not Joe brings CC back for Game 2 on Sunday (which he should anyway, but that's a different discussion). Nova does have the fact that CC already finished 2 innings working for him, as he really only has to work through 4-5 tonight and then hand it over to the 'pen. But if he bombs early, then Joe has to scramble with his middle relief to bridge the gap and keep the game close.
Start breaking out the anti-rain dances early, Yankee fans, because Mother Nature is still feeling cranky today. Hopefully we can get this thing in.
Friday, September 30, 2011
A Little Rain "Suspension" Pick Me Up
Since we can't talk about tonight's game, and the weather ain't looking too hot for tomorrow, here's something we can all watch and enjoy.
The biggest kudos in the history of kudos to the person who put this together. If you're a serious Yankee fan this almost should come with a NSFW warning because you might want to just start jerking off about halfway through this. Fucking Fraud Sawx.
P.S.- Bonus points for trashing Shaughnessy's hideousness.
P.P.S.- Adios, Terry. Good luck getting a job managing in the Majors in 2012 after admitting that you couldn't reach your players at your presser today. Idiot.
The biggest kudos in the history of kudos to the person who put this together. If you're a serious Yankee fan this almost should come with a NSFW warning because you might want to just start jerking off about halfway through this. Fucking Fraud Sawx.
P.S.- Bonus points for trashing Shaughnessy's hideousness.
P.P.S.- Adios, Terry. Good luck getting a job managing in the Majors in 2012 after admitting that you couldn't reach your players at your presser today. Idiot.
Son Of A Bitch Rain
You know, you spend all this time scrambling to catch up on your research for the ALDS after being in Vegas. You get to work early and bust your ass knocking out some kickass previews. You rush off the plane and jump into your car and then politely as possible try to clue your drive into speeding the fuck up so you can get home and see as much of Game 1 as possible, and then the goddamn heavens open up, the field gets flooded, and Game 1 gets postponed due to weather like half of the games at Yankee Stadium this year.
Seriously, Mother Nature. Way to be a bitch. If this is some kind of inside joke between you and Al Gore, it's not fucking funny. Get bent, you old hag.
On a baseball note, here's the deal now. Tonight's game will resume tomorrow at 8:37 EST (stupid move, just replay the whole game) and Game 2 will now be at 3:07 on Sunday. While it sucks to lose what looked like it was shaping up to be a strong CC outing tonight, the Yankees' pitching plans aren't completely screwed. They can stick with Nova tomorrow to keep him on his regular schedule, bring CC back on Sunday as he only threw 27 pitches tonight, and still have Freddy lined up on his regular schedule for Game 3 on Monday. And Nova and CC swap Games 4 and 5, which actually works out better for the Yanks because they were each going to be going on short rest anyway but now they have the big fella throwing Game 5 if needed. Your best pitcher in a must-win situation? Yeah, I'll take that.
So it sucks that tonight got rained out, but all hope is not lost. I'll be back tomorrow to put up a quicky preview for tomorrow's resumed Game 1, but Sunday could be looking rough for any kind of preview or reaction post as I'll be spending my day in the stands of Dover Downs Raceway drinking beer and giving the finger to Kevin Harvick and Kyle Busch. I'll see what I can do.
#innerredneck
So to review again, Game 1 will resume tomorrow at 8:37/7:37. Game 2 is Sunday at 3:07/2:07.
Seriously, Mother Nature. Way to be a bitch. If this is some kind of inside joke between you and Al Gore, it's not fucking funny. Get bent, you old hag.
On a baseball note, here's the deal now. Tonight's game will resume tomorrow at 8:37 EST (stupid move, just replay the whole game) and Game 2 will now be at 3:07 on Sunday. While it sucks to lose what looked like it was shaping up to be a strong CC outing tonight, the Yankees' pitching plans aren't completely screwed. They can stick with Nova tomorrow to keep him on his regular schedule, bring CC back on Sunday as he only threw 27 pitches tonight, and still have Freddy lined up on his regular schedule for Game 3 on Monday. And Nova and CC swap Games 4 and 5, which actually works out better for the Yanks because they were each going to be going on short rest anyway but now they have the big fella throwing Game 5 if needed. Your best pitcher in a must-win situation? Yeah, I'll take that.
So it sucks that tonight got rained out, but all hope is not lost. I'll be back tomorrow to put up a quicky preview for tomorrow's resumed Game 1, but Sunday could be looking rough for any kind of preview or reaction post as I'll be spending my day in the stands of Dover Downs Raceway drinking beer and giving the finger to Kevin Harvick and Kyle Busch. I'll see what I can do.
#innerredneck
So to review again, Game 1 will resume tomorrow at 8:37/7:37. Game 2 is Sunday at 3:07/2:07.
ALDS Game 1 Preview: Mano-Y-Mano
Pitching Matchup: CC Sabathia (19-8) vs. Justin Verlander (24-5)
Starting Lineups (** Projected based off what I expect the Tigers to do against a lefty. I'm hopping on a plane well before the actual lineups will be announced. **):
NYY- Jeter (SS), C-Grand (CF), Cano (2B), A-Rod (3B), Teix (1B), Swish (RF), Jorge (DH), Martin (C), Gardner (LF)
DET- Jackson (CF), Ordonez (RF), Young (LF), Cabrera (1B), Martinez (DH), Avila (C), Peralta (SS), Raburn (2B), Inge (3B)
3 Things to Watch For:
1) CC's Command
The big fella wasn't himself over the last month + of the season when the 6-man rotation was instituted, specifically the command of his fastball and sharpness of his slider. He's coming off a simulated outing during his last scheduled work day, which is not the same as pitching a real game, so it still remains to be seen if that command will be back now that he's closer to a regular schedule. It won't be hard to tell if it's there early on, as CC will be in more 2- and 3-ball counts if it's not. This is not a lineup you want to miss spots with, because there are plenty of guys who will make you pay, but if CC has his command back, his swagger won't be far behind and it could be a long night for the Tiger hitters.
2) NY's Approach Against Verlander
Justin Verlander is going to win the Cy Young this year, that's a given. What's not is how he'll fare against the Yankees tonight. In both of his outings against the Bombers this year he's been relatively successful (16 Ks in 12 IP), but has also been out of each game after 6 innings. The Yankees have been successful at drawing walks (7 in 2 games) and fouling pitches off against Verlander to work up his pitch count and get him out early (114 on Opening Day, 127 on May 2nd). Will they employ that same traditional Yankee patience tonight or look to jump on Verlander early? Whatever they do, I expect Verlander to be on top of his game, and ready to match Carsten pitch for pitch.
3) Miguel Cabrera
We just discussed how he absolutely tears Yankee pitching apart, so pay attention to how CC and the Yankee staff approach him and how willing Cabrera is to take what the Yankees give him. My guess is CC will pitch to him without runners on, and be more selective with guys on base, and I expect the general rule for everybody not named CC or Mo to be intentionally walk Cabrera in a RISP situation and 1st base open. If that trend starts to play itself out tonight, it will be interesting to see if Cabrera maintains his patience through the series or starts swinging earlier in the count to try and make something happen.
Player to Watch: Alex Rodriguez
I'll just come right out and say it, I'm concerned about The Horse. He hasn't been healthy in a long time, is even less healthy right now, and we've all seen how his swing and power fall apart when he's banged up. Joe has already stated that A-Rod is good to go and will play 3B the whole series, but tonight should give us a pretty good idea of what kind of A-Rod the Yankees are going to have. Are we going to get a healthy, strong Horse? Or a banged up, weak one?
It's playoff baseball time again, folks, and that's when shit gets exciting. Every at-bat matters a little more, every pitch matters a little more, and there's that extra bit of energy and electricity in the air. The Stadium is going to be packed tonight, and it's going to be rocking. We've got 2 evenly matched teams squaring off with the 2 best pitchers in the AL on the hill ready to do battle. I salute them for the jobs they've already done this year in helping getting their teams to the playoffs, and for the rest of the Yankee lineup taking the field tonight, we all salute you in the tradition originally set forth by the fine folks at Fack Youk.
** (Just a reminder, I'm out of town again for the weekend starting this afternoon. If I can somehow manage to snag a computer to bring with me, I'll cover as much of Games 1 and 2 as I can. If not, I'll at least be able to watch and take notes and comment on Monday before Game 3.) **
Starting Lineups (** Projected based off what I expect the Tigers to do against a lefty. I'm hopping on a plane well before the actual lineups will be announced. **):
NYY- Jeter (SS), C-Grand (CF), Cano (2B), A-Rod (3B), Teix (1B), Swish (RF), Jorge (DH), Martin (C), Gardner (LF)
DET- Jackson (CF), Ordonez (RF), Young (LF), Cabrera (1B), Martinez (DH), Avila (C), Peralta (SS), Raburn (2B), Inge (3B)
3 Things to Watch For:
1) CC's Command
The big fella wasn't himself over the last month + of the season when the 6-man rotation was instituted, specifically the command of his fastball and sharpness of his slider. He's coming off a simulated outing during his last scheduled work day, which is not the same as pitching a real game, so it still remains to be seen if that command will be back now that he's closer to a regular schedule. It won't be hard to tell if it's there early on, as CC will be in more 2- and 3-ball counts if it's not. This is not a lineup you want to miss spots with, because there are plenty of guys who will make you pay, but if CC has his command back, his swagger won't be far behind and it could be a long night for the Tiger hitters.
2) NY's Approach Against Verlander
Justin Verlander is going to win the Cy Young this year, that's a given. What's not is how he'll fare against the Yankees tonight. In both of his outings against the Bombers this year he's been relatively successful (16 Ks in 12 IP), but has also been out of each game after 6 innings. The Yankees have been successful at drawing walks (7 in 2 games) and fouling pitches off against Verlander to work up his pitch count and get him out early (114 on Opening Day, 127 on May 2nd). Will they employ that same traditional Yankee patience tonight or look to jump on Verlander early? Whatever they do, I expect Verlander to be on top of his game, and ready to match Carsten pitch for pitch.
3) Miguel Cabrera
We just discussed how he absolutely tears Yankee pitching apart, so pay attention to how CC and the Yankee staff approach him and how willing Cabrera is to take what the Yankees give him. My guess is CC will pitch to him without runners on, and be more selective with guys on base, and I expect the general rule for everybody not named CC or Mo to be intentionally walk Cabrera in a RISP situation and 1st base open. If that trend starts to play itself out tonight, it will be interesting to see if Cabrera maintains his patience through the series or starts swinging earlier in the count to try and make something happen.
Player to Watch: Alex Rodriguez
I'll just come right out and say it, I'm concerned about The Horse. He hasn't been healthy in a long time, is even less healthy right now, and we've all seen how his swing and power fall apart when he's banged up. Joe has already stated that A-Rod is good to go and will play 3B the whole series, but tonight should give us a pretty good idea of what kind of A-Rod the Yankees are going to have. Are we going to get a healthy, strong Horse? Or a banged up, weak one?
It's playoff baseball time again, folks, and that's when shit gets exciting. Every at-bat matters a little more, every pitch matters a little more, and there's that extra bit of energy and electricity in the air. The Stadium is going to be packed tonight, and it's going to be rocking. We've got 2 evenly matched teams squaring off with the 2 best pitchers in the AL on the hill ready to do battle. I salute them for the jobs they've already done this year in helping getting their teams to the playoffs, and for the rest of the Yankee lineup taking the field tonight, we all salute you in the tradition originally set forth by the fine folks at Fack Youk.
** (Just a reminder, I'm out of town again for the weekend starting this afternoon. If I can somehow manage to snag a computer to bring with me, I'll cover as much of Games 1 and 2 as I can. If not, I'll at least be able to watch and take notes and comment on Monday before Game 3.) **
2011 ALDS Preview: 3 Things That Will Decide The Series (And A Prediction)
The Yankees and Tigers met 7 times in the regular season, first in the season opening series at the end of March/beginning of April and then in early May, with the Tigers taking 4 of the 7 games. In the months since then, a lot of things have changed about each team, but many things have stayed the same. There will be a few new faces on either side that weren't present in the spring, but the core of each team remains intact. A basic once over of each team reveals more similarities than differences.
Both teams boast strong, deep lineups that were among the best in baseball all season (Yankees .346 wOBA- 3rd in MLB; Tigers .336- 4th. Both teams in top 5 in wRC+), and both have rotations with strength at the top and then question marks behind that (CC-Nova for the Yanks, Verlander-Fister for the Tigers). Both teams can hit, and both teams can pitch (kinda), so there won't be an easy predictors for determining victory at the basic level, AKA the Tim McCarver Method of Analyzing Baseball. Luckily, I've already done a little digging to find the 3 keys to this series.
1) Speed/Athleticism
Something that typically gets overlooked in baseball decisions, and something I admittedly rarely consider when breaking down matchups, but there are some stats tied to this that the Yanks and Tigers are not even close in, and it will play a factor. First, defensively the Yankees boast a team Fielding Rating of 22.9, good for 7th in MLB. The Tigers team rating is -2.0, which puts them near the bottom. The Yankees are boosted by strong ratings for Brett Gardner in left and Nick Swisher in right, as well as Martin behind the plate, Teix at first, and A-Rod at third, and even Jeter, Cano, and C-Grand pass the eye test at their respective positions more often than not. The Tigers, however, are a bit of a mess in the field. There's nobody close to a Gold Glover in the infield, and even the speed of Austin Jackson can't cover for the limitations of the lumbering Delmon Young in left and Magglio Ordonez in right. Quite simply, the Yankees get to more balls and make more plays in the field than the Tigers do.
The other area where the Yanks' athleticism advantage should show through is on the basepaths. The Yankees' team Baserunning Rating of 1.1 only puts them in the middle of the pack amongst MLB teams, but the Tigers' rating of -7.6 ranks 26th. And there's also the wide gap in stolen bases to consider. New York's 147 SB was 4th in baseball; Detroit's 49 was dead last. We've seen the Yankees go for the steal, double steal, hit-and-run, and sac bunt often this season, using their speed and baserunning skills to their advantage. We won't see any of that from the Tigers.
It's a small part of the game, something that can't be as easily measure statistically as other things, but those numbers show that the Yankees have a decided advantage in the Speed/Athleticism department. Their defense gets a boost from it, allowing them to better pick up their pitchers when the ball is in play, and their offense becomes more dynamic and more versatile as a result of their speed on the basepaths. In a short series it will be next to impossible to quantify this, but we've all seen how just a couple of plays here and there can change a series: a diving catch here, a stolen base or extra base taken on a ball in the gap there. The Yankees are much more equipped to take advantage of those opportunities than the Tigers are and I expect them to continue to use that to their advantage every chance they get.
Thursday, September 29, 2011
AB4AR's Final Postseason Roster
It's only been a week since the last list, but there have been some major changes here. Guys who I had as sure things last week now look like they're going to be on the outside looking in, and through some stroke of evil black magic, I think we're all going to be exposed to A.J. Burnett being a part of the playoff 25-man. That's just a frightening thought, but you know what? THE FACKING FRAUD SAWX AHH NAWT GOING TO BE THEY-AH!!!! So that makes it a little better.
Here's my final prediction:
Top 25 as of 9/29/11-
1) CC Sabathia
2) Mariano Rivera
3) Robinson Cano
4) Curtis Granderson
5) Dave Robertson
6) Nick Swisher
7) Derek Jeter
8) Mark Teixeira
9) Russell Martin
10) Brett Gardner
11) Ivan Nova
12) Alex Rodriguez
13) Rafael Soriano
14) Freddy Garcia
15) Eric Chavez
16) Andruw Jones
17) Boone Logan (even though he's been dog ass lately)
18) Eduardo Nunez
19) Cory Wade
20) Chris Dickerson
21) Jorge Posada- It wasn't looking nearly as good for Whore-Gay this time last week. But a key HR here, a base hit there, some solid defensive plays, and the fact that the Detroit Tigers have never even heard of a left-handed pitcher makes him a virtual lock now.
22) Hector Noesi- He tired in his spot start earlier in the week, but after watching the rest of the September call-ups and scrap heap pieces like Scott Proctor shit the bed for the past few weeks, you have to think Joe is smart enough to realize Noesi is his most reliable "Swiss Army Knife" guy for the 'pen.
23) Jesus Montero- The Earth stood still last night as we waited for word on Montero's hand. But the X-rays were negative and reportedly all is well. We probably won't see him much, but having The Jesus lingering on the bench as a pinch-hitting option is a good idea.
24) Phil Hughes- All of this goes out the window if he wakes up tomorrow with yellow fever or shingles or something, but it looks like Joe has already decided that Phil is going to be one of his guys for the playoff 'pen. And velocity or not, Hughes did work through his 2 extended auditions without allowing a run this week.
25) A.J. Burnett- I don't know how it happened, or why. But I honestly think A.J. did enough in his last start against Bahhston and in his Yankee reliever debut last night to earn Joe's trust. I personally don't think he deserves to be there, and I would take Bartolo over A.J., but I think Joe wanted A.J. all along and can justify taking him in his own mind after A.J.'s recent outings.
Also Receiving Votes (Barely)-
26) Raul Valdes- Because I can see Joe getting cute and going with another LOOGY now that he has Hughes and A.J. available to eat up some of Noesi's long-man innings.
27) Austin Romine- If Jorge or Jesus trips and falls down the stairs tonight.
28) Bartolo Colon- I would have more faith in Colon than I would in A.J. in a tight spot, but I think Bart's bad timing with his late-season flameout while A.J. pitched his best game of the year was his undoing. It's a shame too, because Bart was a big part in keeping the Yankee rotation afloat earlier in the year. But I think he's getting the shaft.
29) Luis Ayala- Not unless 2 guys ahead of him die. He completely fucked himself last night.
Here's my final prediction:
Top 25 as of 9/29/11-
1) CC Sabathia
2) Mariano Rivera
3) Robinson Cano
4) Curtis Granderson
5) Dave Robertson
6) Nick Swisher
7) Derek Jeter
8) Mark Teixeira
9) Russell Martin
10) Brett Gardner
11) Ivan Nova
12) Alex Rodriguez
13) Rafael Soriano
14) Freddy Garcia
15) Eric Chavez
16) Andruw Jones
17) Boone Logan (even though he's been dog ass lately)
18) Eduardo Nunez
19) Cory Wade
20) Chris Dickerson
21) Jorge Posada- It wasn't looking nearly as good for Whore-Gay this time last week. But a key HR here, a base hit there, some solid defensive plays, and the fact that the Detroit Tigers have never even heard of a left-handed pitcher makes him a virtual lock now.
22) Hector Noesi- He tired in his spot start earlier in the week, but after watching the rest of the September call-ups and scrap heap pieces like Scott Proctor shit the bed for the past few weeks, you have to think Joe is smart enough to realize Noesi is his most reliable "Swiss Army Knife" guy for the 'pen.
23) Jesus Montero- The Earth stood still last night as we waited for word on Montero's hand. But the X-rays were negative and reportedly all is well. We probably won't see him much, but having The Jesus lingering on the bench as a pinch-hitting option is a good idea.
24) Phil Hughes- All of this goes out the window if he wakes up tomorrow with yellow fever or shingles or something, but it looks like Joe has already decided that Phil is going to be one of his guys for the playoff 'pen. And velocity or not, Hughes did work through his 2 extended auditions without allowing a run this week.
25) A.J. Burnett- I don't know how it happened, or why. But I honestly think A.J. did enough in his last start against Bahhston and in his Yankee reliever debut last night to earn Joe's trust. I personally don't think he deserves to be there, and I would take Bartolo over A.J., but I think Joe wanted A.J. all along and can justify taking him in his own mind after A.J.'s recent outings.
Also Receiving Votes (Barely)-
26) Raul Valdes- Because I can see Joe getting cute and going with another LOOGY now that he has Hughes and A.J. available to eat up some of Noesi's long-man innings.
27) Austin Romine- If Jorge or Jesus trips and falls down the stairs tonight.
28) Bartolo Colon- I would have more faith in Colon than I would in A.J. in a tight spot, but I think Bart's bad timing with his late-season flameout while A.J. pitched his best game of the year was his undoing. It's a shame too, because Bart was a big part in keeping the Yankee rotation afloat earlier in the year. But I think he's getting the shaft.
29) Luis Ayala- Not unless 2 guys ahead of him die. He completely fucked himself last night.
Sad Mike Aviles Is Sad
Just try to look at this picture for more than 5 seconds without bursting into giddy, childish laughter. You can't. Nothing captures how pathetic the Fraud Sawx and their sadsack Fraud Sawx Nation are better than this image. I fucking love it.
Courtesy of The AP
Early Week Recap
Now that we know how the AL playoffs are going to line up (and that they won't include the Fraud Sawx), we can look forward to the ALDS matchup against the Tigers. But before we do that, I just want to take a quick spin around the Yankee news circuit and comment on some of the stories I missed while I was in Vegas.
- Robbie Cano Moved Up to 3rd in The Lineup
It makes sense because he's the team's best hitter, and Teix has been plain awful this year at times batting ahead of A-Rod. But I would question those who think Cano is going to see more pitches hitting in front of The Horse rather than Swisher. A-Rod hasn't been doing much of anything with the bat since coming back, and now he's got thumb and knee issues. In my opinion, the best thing to come out of this move by Joe, besides getting Cano more at-bats, is the protection he'll offer Curtis in the 2-hole. Pitchers might be more apt to pitch C-Grand carefully knowing they have to deal with Cano after.
- Teix to 5th
Also makes sense. No need to delve into the numbers more than everybody already has. It's just a fact that Teix is having a down year, he's gotten too pull happy, and he knows it and finally admitted it this week. You can't have a guy with a BA in the .240s and an OBP in the .330s hitting 3rd. You just can't. Hopefully last night was a sign that Teix is starting to snap out of his year-long swoon, but strategically swapping him and Robbie was the right move.
- Hughes to The 'Pen
No surprise here, as his results as a starter have been mixed since returning in July. It's probably the only way Joe could have justified getting him on the postseason roster, which I think Hughes will make now even though he probably doesn't deserve to. His velocity hasn't played up so far out of the pen, but Phil has managed to throw 2.2 scoreless innings since the move. This has been a lost season for Hughes, no doubt. He really needs to sack up and come into Spring Training 2012 in killer shape and committed to becoming the kind of pitcher he looked like in the first half of 2010.
- Playoff Rotation Set
Earlier in the week, there was still some uncertainty surrounding the 3rd starter for the ALDS. A.J. turned a lot of heads with his outing against Bahhston on Sunday, but Joe showed his hand last night, using A.J. out of the 'pen and announcing Freddy Garcia as the 3rd starter. They'll line up CC, Nova, Freddy, CC, Nova for Detroit and that's the way it should be. Those guys have earned it with their body of work and most recent outings.
- Bartolo Left Out in The Cold?
With Nova and Freddy officially in the rotation, and Phil and A.J. looking like locks for the bullpen, the clock looks like it's struck midnight on the $900,000 Man. And while that's a bit of a bummer considering how important he was to the Yankee rotation early, I think even Bart would tell you that he got more out of himself than he expected this season. He gave the Yankees what they needed and helped ease the sting of not getting Cliff Lee, and he was another feather in Cash's cap.
- Boone Logan's Issues
Joe can say whatever he wants, but Boone Logan is a problem right now. Game mattering or not, it's inexcusable to blow a 7-0 lead in the 8th inning and Logan got the ball rolling on that last night with his sloppy work. Logan's recent struggles might not open the door for Raul Valdes to get a postseason spot thanks to Hughes and A.J., but I'm very concerned about matching him up with anybody in the postseason. Guy just hasn't been consistent at all.
- Robbie Cano Moved Up to 3rd in The Lineup
It makes sense because he's the team's best hitter, and Teix has been plain awful this year at times batting ahead of A-Rod. But I would question those who think Cano is going to see more pitches hitting in front of The Horse rather than Swisher. A-Rod hasn't been doing much of anything with the bat since coming back, and now he's got thumb and knee issues. In my opinion, the best thing to come out of this move by Joe, besides getting Cano more at-bats, is the protection he'll offer Curtis in the 2-hole. Pitchers might be more apt to pitch C-Grand carefully knowing they have to deal with Cano after.
- Teix to 5th
Also makes sense. No need to delve into the numbers more than everybody already has. It's just a fact that Teix is having a down year, he's gotten too pull happy, and he knows it and finally admitted it this week. You can't have a guy with a BA in the .240s and an OBP in the .330s hitting 3rd. You just can't. Hopefully last night was a sign that Teix is starting to snap out of his year-long swoon, but strategically swapping him and Robbie was the right move.
- Hughes to The 'Pen
No surprise here, as his results as a starter have been mixed since returning in July. It's probably the only way Joe could have justified getting him on the postseason roster, which I think Hughes will make now even though he probably doesn't deserve to. His velocity hasn't played up so far out of the pen, but Phil has managed to throw 2.2 scoreless innings since the move. This has been a lost season for Hughes, no doubt. He really needs to sack up and come into Spring Training 2012 in killer shape and committed to becoming the kind of pitcher he looked like in the first half of 2010.
- Playoff Rotation Set
Earlier in the week, there was still some uncertainty surrounding the 3rd starter for the ALDS. A.J. turned a lot of heads with his outing against Bahhston on Sunday, but Joe showed his hand last night, using A.J. out of the 'pen and announcing Freddy Garcia as the 3rd starter. They'll line up CC, Nova, Freddy, CC, Nova for Detroit and that's the way it should be. Those guys have earned it with their body of work and most recent outings.
- Bartolo Left Out in The Cold?
With Nova and Freddy officially in the rotation, and Phil and A.J. looking like locks for the bullpen, the clock looks like it's struck midnight on the $900,000 Man. And while that's a bit of a bummer considering how important he was to the Yankee rotation early, I think even Bart would tell you that he got more out of himself than he expected this season. He gave the Yankees what they needed and helped ease the sting of not getting Cliff Lee, and he was another feather in Cash's cap.
- Boone Logan's Issues
Joe can say whatever he wants, but Boone Logan is a problem right now. Game mattering or not, it's inexcusable to blow a 7-0 lead in the 8th inning and Logan got the ball rolling on that last night with his sloppy work. Logan's recent struggles might not open the door for Raul Valdes to get a postseason spot thanks to Hughes and A.J., but I'm very concerned about matching him up with anybody in the postseason. Guy just hasn't been consistent at all.
Wednesday, September 28, 2011
FAHHCKING BUCKNAH REVISITED!!!!!!!
BAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Fuck Jacoby Ellsbury. Fuck Jawnathan Papelbawn. Fuck Dahhstin Pedroy-ah. Fuck Terry Francona. Fuck Theo Epstein. Fuck Big Sloppi. Fuck the city of Bahhston and everybody in it. Have fun watching the playoffs from the couch, you fucking fugazi bitches. And enjoy the rest of Carl Crawford's contract.
Fuck Jacoby Ellsbury. Fuck Jawnathan Papelbawn. Fuck Dahhstin Pedroy-ah. Fuck Terry Francona. Fuck Theo Epstein. Fuck Big Sloppi. Fuck the city of Bahhston and everybody in it. Have fun watching the playoffs from the couch, you fucking fugazi bitches. And enjoy the rest of Carl Crawford's contract.
Betances Starting Tonight
I'm back from Vegas. I'm unshaven, haven't showered, still in the clothes I wore out last night, and despite brushing my teeth twice and chewing a couple pieces of gum this morning my mouth still tastes like cigarettes.
And now I'm reading that Dellin Betances is starting tonight for the Yanks in the final game of the year. What? Am I still drunk? What the fuck is going on?
Don't get me wrong, I'm a huge Betances fan. I think once he learns to harness his stuff and have some command, he could be lights out. But he didn't exactly shine in his MLB debut last week when he did his best Rick Vaughn impression by walking 4 Rays and hitting 1 in just 0.2 innings.
I'm all for not using a regular starter so they can be lined up for the playoffs this weekend, but I also don't want to see Betances go out and struggle tonight and get his Major League career off to a crappy start. You never know how something like that can affect a kid that young. And what if he pitches well and shuts the Rays down and then the Fraud Sawx make the playoffs? That would suck. I guess we'll see what happens in a few hours.
And now I'm reading that Dellin Betances is starting tonight for the Yanks in the final game of the year. What? Am I still drunk? What the fuck is going on?
Don't get me wrong, I'm a huge Betances fan. I think once he learns to harness his stuff and have some command, he could be lights out. But he didn't exactly shine in his MLB debut last week when he did his best Rick Vaughn impression by walking 4 Rays and hitting 1 in just 0.2 innings.
I'm all for not using a regular starter so they can be lined up for the playoffs this weekend, but I also don't want to see Betances go out and struggle tonight and get his Major League career off to a crappy start. You never know how something like that can affect a kid that young. And what if he pitches well and shuts the Rays down and then the Fraud Sawx make the playoffs? That would suck. I guess we'll see what happens in a few hours.
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